The invention concerns a method for producing an electrical connector according to the precharacterizing clause of claim 1. In addition, the invention concerns a connector produced according to this method.
Such connectors are known in high-frequency engineering under the designation xe2x80x9cprint connectors.xe2x80x9d In high-frequency engineering, the electrical and mechanical quality of the connection is especially important. In order to avoid undesired attenuation and radiation effects at the connection point, high requirements must be placed on the contact quality of inner as well as outer conductors and on the shielding properties of the connector and circuit board pairing. In addition, a portable application of associated devices requires a high mechanical stability of the connection. Conventionally, a high-frequency connection is achieved at circuit boards in that the inner conductor and the outer conductor of the coaxial connector are bonded to corresponding conductors on the circuit board. Often, the contacts are soldered to the circuit board or are plugged directly into the circuit board.
The type of the bonding of the print connector to the circuit board can be configured in various manners. Often print connectors are assembled on the circuit board in the known SMD technology and soldered; this takes place primarily using the reflow soldering procedure especially suited for such purpose. In another often used type of bonding, the connector is inserted into holes which are specially reserved in the circuit board for them and which are in most cases throughplated, i.e., coated with metal, and on the underside of the plate often is soldered in the so-called flow-soldering bath soldering method which is especially suited for this purpose. In another method, the coaxial connectors with the inner conductor and the outer conductor are inserted, directly and gas-tight, into metallically conductive holes in the circuit board which are adapted specifically for that purpose via specially shaped, innately mildly springy grooved-pin-like feet. In still another frequently used method, the connector is embedded and soldered lying on the edge in a recess set at an edge of the circuit board, wherein not a vertical axis of the conductor is selected as in the method described previously, but rather an axis parallel to the plane of the circuit board is selected.
The production of such connectors or print connectors in the past took place in a milling process with comparably expensive production equipment. The geometric features of the connectors differ depending on the type of contact with the circuit board. The milling procedure used in the past was comparably involved and time intensive. It should be noted that such connectors are produced in high numbers. In addition, handling is made more difficult as a result of the small dimensions of such connectors. Disclosed in GB 2 272 800 A is a print connector in which exposed pins are produced from an initial body through turning and through milling. Thus a milling machine is required in this case for producing [the connectors]. WO 97/45899 discloses a coaxial connector in which the connector pins are produced from the four corners of a four-cornered billet through turning and milling.
The invention is based on the task of creating a method of the type mentioned which makes possible a significantly more cost-effective production of connectors of the type mentioned.
The task is achieved in a method in that a profiled, prism or rope-shaped initial body at least at its one end is processed by turning such that from one edge or profile of the initial body, at least one pin is exposed. Essential for the method is the above-mentioned initial body from which a connector can be produced through turning more cost-effectively and more simply than previously. A connector of the type mentioned can essentially be produced solely through turning of the initial body mentioned. The processing machinery necessary for this purpose is essentially less expensive than the milling equipment necessary in the past. The above-mentioned initial body can in particular be produced through drawing, extrusion, or molding. A drawn initial body has proven to be especially advantageous, with a significant increase in strength of the exposed pin, the so-called print foot, being possible. The contacts are accordingly much more stable. Deformations and warping of these print feet can be avoided with this production and handling process.
A further technologically interesting possibility is provided through an additional, for example, plastic deformation or a cutting process on the pins or print feet which can then be inserted directly and without soldering into a corresponding circuit board and thus provide an electrical and mechanically reliable as well as gas-tight contact. Additional advantages of the method according to the invention are the higher production precision and the higher degree of reproducibility of the relevant process values.
Additional advantageous features are contained in the dependent patent claims, the following description, and the drawing. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail below with the aid of the drawings.